Frans Van Cauwelaert
Frans Van Cauwelaert, was a Belgian Roman Catholic politician and lawyer.
Van Cauwelaert was born at Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek. He was a member of the Flemish movement, Professor of psychology at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, mayor of Antwerp, and co-founder of the daily journal De Standaard.
He fought for using Dutch at the University of Ghent, together with the Socialist Camille Huysmans and the liberal Louis Franck. In 1911 they proposed a bill to the Belgian parliament, which originated from Lodewijk De Raet for the usage of Dutch at the University of Ghent instead of French.
Frans Van Cauwelaert was a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives from 1910 until his death in 1961. He was appointed Minister of State in 1931. In the government led by Charles de Broqueville, Van Cauwelaert was minister for Commerce, Middle Class and Foreign Trade and Minister of Agriculture and Economical Affairs. Van Cauwelaert then served in the government led by Georges Theunis as the minister of Agriculture and the Middle class and as minister of Public Works, until he resigned due to a financial scandal. From 1939 to 1954, he served as President of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, and lived in exile in New York during the German occupation.
He died in Antwerp.
His youngest son Jan became a Catholic bishop and died aged 102 as one of the oldest bishops in the Church.
